21.11 November Issue Highlights

Sergio Juárez Correa’s students in Matamoros, Mexico, didn’t have reliable Internet access, steady electricity or much hope – until a radical new teaching method unlocked their potential. Genius is everywhere, but we’re wasting it. WIRED’s Joshua Davis explores how to unleash the great minds of tomorrow. The extraordinary results speak for themselves.

+ Alternative Schools, a History: New research shows what educators have long intuited: Letting kids pursue their own interests sharpens their hunger for knowledge. A look back at this approach. (pg. 159)

+ Radicals Among Us: Schools are finding new ways for technology to fuel students’ curiosity and foster self-learning. (pg. 161)

First Nest invented the thermostat, now it’s coming for your fire alarm. Bursting with charm and intelligence, the Nest Protect is exploiting the growing infrastructure of sensors and connectivity around us. How Nest is creating the conscious home, one device at a time.

+ Inside the Nest Protect: Nest set out to make a smart smoke detector that would become a beloved household item. Here’s a closer look at its digital interior. (pg. 169)

Is everything really better with bacon? Where can you get the best chili? What’s the most popular sandwich in Manhattan? There has been no way to answer these enduring questions – until now. WIRED partnered with Food Network to crunch all the data hidden in its website’s 49,733 recipes and 906,539 comments. The result is a fascinating overview of how Americans cook. Dig in!

PLUS:Is it really better with bacon? (pg. 178); Official chronology of food vitality from cupcakes to cronuts, kale to quinoa (pg. 178); Designing your menu for the best Thanksgivingmeal (pg. 180); Screw Iron Chef: Just look at the stats to see how top chefs measure up (pg. 181); Major cities’ most popular dishes (pg. 182)

Better Call Bob! / pg. 170

Bob Odenkirk is best known as the character actor who played the sleazy lawyer with anger issues on Breaking Bad. But as it happens, Odenkirk is also a comedy cleric of the highest order. Without him, a certain strain of modern humor wouldn’t exist, and his TV, film, and web projects have served as the public’s introduction to today’s most successful comedians. A look at Odenkirk’s sprawling career and influence over the past two decades.

“I’m gonna die. That’s just the way it’s going to be today.” Two explosions. Hundreds of injuries. A sea of backpacks to be searched by hand. The untold story of the worst day in the life of the Boston police department.